Tamil Nadu and Gujarat witnessed key developments that reflect both regional and national political tensions. The Tamil Nadu government convened an all-party meeting on the NEET issue, while the Congress, on the second day of its AICC session in Ahmedabad, prepared to deliberate on two significant political resolutions. At the same time, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in London, and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal planned a key discussion with exporters over proposed US tariffs.
Tamil Nadu government calls all-party meeting over NEET
The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, on Wednesday called a meeting of all legislature party leaders to address the growing dissent over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). However, the AIADMK, led by Edappadi K Palaniswami, chose to boycott the meeting, calling it a “drama” and accusing the DMK government of failing to deliver on its promise to abolish NEET. Palaniswami criticized Stalin and his son, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, for making misleading commitments during the 2021 Assembly elections, claiming they had a “secret formula” to eliminate NEET once in power. The Centre’s rejection of the Assembly resolution seeking exemption from NEET has only intensified the issue.
Congress focuses on national and Gujarat politics
Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, the Congress party continued its AICC session with detailed discussions scheduled on two resolutions: one on the national political landscape and the other centered on Gujarat politics. Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh addressed the media following the Extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, where a special resolution was passed on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary. The party reaffirmed the historical camaraderie between Patel and Nehru, rejecting BJP-RSS narratives suggesting rivalry.
The CWC resolution cited Patel’s own words from 1947 to stress the unity between India’s founding leaders, arguing that current political forces are misrepresenting history to divide public sentiment. Congress reiterated its commitment to uphold constitutional values, inspired by the leadership ideals of Sardar Patel, with Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi leading the call for justice and democracy.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, attending the 13th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in London, discussed a range of bilateral cooperation issues including FinTech, UPI integration, taxation, and climate finance. On another front, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to meet exporters to assess the impact of potential reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, with key trade bodies and officials participating in the discussion.
